County Nukewatch organisation warns of 'deadly' convoys passing Banbury every month

Oxfordshire CND said the most recent nuclear warhead convoy was tracked and monitored on October 17 as it travelled down the UK.

Spokesman Nigel Day said: “It travelled through Oxfordshire passing Bicester and Banbury on October 17 and returned on Sunday October 23.

“These convoys travel regularly between Atomic Weapons Establishment, Burghfield in Berkshire - the nuclear bomb factory - and Royal Naval Armaments Depot, Coulport, next to the Trident submarine base at Faslane in Scotland.

“This is the most deadly cargo on our roads.”

An MOD spokesman told the Banbury Guardian: “All defence nuclear material movements are kept to the minimum necessary to meet operational requirements.

“Defence Nuclear Materials are transported only when necessary to meet operational requirements and in over 50 years of transporting nuclear material by road in the UK, there has never been an incident that has posed any radiation hazard to the public or the environment.”

Mr Day said: “The government increased warhead numbers – the approximate number now is 250-260 Trident warheads.

“They are all stored in bunkers at Royal Naval Armaments Depot (RNAD) Coulport, in the next loch to the Trident nuclear submarines at Faslane in Scotland.

“No nuclear warheads are stored in England. The components are manufactured at Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston and assembled into warheads at nearby AWE Burghfield, from where the nuclear warhead convoys leave and return.

“Depleted weapons and some for routine maintenance or inspection are returned to AWE Burghfield, so there is a circular transport by the convoys.”

See https://www.nukewatch.org.uk/

Mr Day said a warhead convoy contains: warhead load carriers (enormous trucks), MOD Police escort vehicles and military support vehicles to deal with accidents or breakdowns.

“The warhead carriers are 44 tons, seven axle, articulated Mercedes-Benz trucks. They are military green, covered by a fitted canvas. MOD Police vans with large blue and yellow checkered stripes carrying the convoy commander and escort commander are in front and behind.

“There are usually between three - five warhead carriers. MOD Police vans travel in front and behind each carrier. The fire engine will follow.

“The three support vehicles of spare carrier cab, decontamination and workshop coach, breakdown truck and support coach travel some distance behind the main convoy. If the carriers are held up then these vehicles will wait several miles behind.

“Because the warheads need to be constantly refurbished, batches are shuttled by road convoy a number of times a year.

“Police forces are notified at least 24 hours in advance of a convoy going through their area to advise the convoy about any traffic problems. Royal Marines provide armed personnel to counter any potential threat and the MOD Special Escort Group role is the close escort (security) and traffic management.”

For 25 years Aldermaston Women’s Peace Campaign has held a monthly camp outside AWE Aldermaston.

Nukewatch UK tracks and monitors convoys and has provided evidence for the House of Commons Defence Select Committee.

The same convoy vehicles as ‘Special Nuclear Material convoys’ are also used to escort the MOD Special Nuclear Materials around the United Kingdom. Most of this work being to and from the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston. These convoys travel, for example, to RAF Brize Norton and Rolls Royce, Derby.